Truss



(No Model.)

R. RICE.

TRUSS.

Patented Nov. 1, 1887.

INVENTOR u l M-MM WITW'ESSES ./w,

.Httorney N. PETERS. Phmumngmphr, Washington. D. C.

Ntra STATES trice REVILLO RICE, OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOVA.

TRUSS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. $372,567I datedNovember l, 1887.

Application tiled July 11, 1887. Serial No. 243,985.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, REVILLO RICE, a lcitizen of the UnitedI States,resident at Council Bluffs, in the county otPottawattamie and State ofIowa., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trusses; andI do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description ot'the invention, such as will enable others skilled iu the art to which itappcrtains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters or tigures ot' reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specitication.

Figure l of the drawings is a front view of my improved hernial support.Fig. 2 is a transverse section ot' pad on line as x, Fig. l.

The invention relates -to improvements in trusses l'or the relietl ot'hernia; and it consists in the construction and novel combination ofparts, as hereinafter set t'orth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A. designates the waist-strap otthe device, and B the pad, detachably secured tothe ends otsaid strap bymeans hereinafter described.

The pad B has its lower edge provided with a centrally-incurred portion,b, and stands, when the device is in place, at thelower part ot' thepubic arch, and is sustained partly by the contiguous parts.

The pail B is-inade long enough to tie against both ofthe lower inguinalrings or openings, so that it will support the parts apt to descend, ifthe person wearing the device is afflicted with double hernia, or willprevent by its support and pressure the occurrence of hernia on theunaifected side in a case of singie hernia, so that the pad not onlyholds up the parts apt to descend on the att'ccted side, but prevents byits support the intirinity i'roin happening on the opposite side.

The waist-strap is an elastic belt, and has attached to each end astrap,C,one end of which is permanently attached to the endofthewaiststrap on the inner side thereof', the other end passingthrough a buckle, D, secured to the outside ofthe corresponding end ofthe waiststrap. l

E is a metal plate, having a vertical slot, e, through which the strapCpasscs, so that the plate can slide ou the strap.

(No model.)

F is a short longitudinal slot in the inner end of the plate E, which isof general triangular shape. The said slot engages upon a pin, G,projecting from the upper part of a plate, H, secured to the outer sideot the pad near the end thereof. The pad is provided with similarplates, H, near each end, which plates are preferably oval, the pins Gstand ing from the upper part of the plates. The pins are provided withheads g,extending up` ward and downward, so thattheplates I-Ihave to beturned upward in order to engage the slots F and the pins G, and whenthe same are engaged and the plates turned to their normal positions,each head g lies across the corresponding slot, F, and preventsdisengagement ofthe piu G therelrom. v

I I are thighstraps, each having its upper end engaged by a buckle, J,secured to the waist-strap a suitable distance from an end thereof. Thesaid straps l are elastic,and cach passes from the buckle engaging itdownward and to the inner-side ofthe thigh, and,pass1ng upward on thefront side ofthe body, has secured toits end a plate, K, similar totheplates E E, the long transverse slot in said plate K engaging the endofthe corresponding thighstrap, and the short vertical slot k engagingthe pin L, secured to the lower part ot' the corresponding plate, II,near the lower end thereof, and having ahead, Z, which extendslaterally, so as to stand across the slot It' when engaged therewith.

The pad is composed of an outer layer, llI, of leather' or othersuitable material, to which the plates H are secured by screws orrivets, or by both, the inner layer, N, ot'sot't leather, to rcstagainst the skin, and the iilliug coinposed ot' the following elements:

C is a layer of india-rubber, which rests against lthe outer layer, M,and l? is a packing of soft inelastic material, made, preferably, ot'layers of cloth stitched together, which packing rests between theindiaruhber layer and the inner layer, N,of the pad. The said layers ofcloth increase in width from the rubber layer to the inner layer of thepad, so that the pad increases in thickness from its upper edge toitslower edge.

The pad when in place gives a broad surface of support, and, as stated,covers both IOO lower inguinal rings, and the soft inelastic packing P,being backed by the rubber elastic packing O, `gives a suitableamount.of pressure on the skin, and yet does not cause abrasion, as the lengthof the pad prevents the slipping that is liable to occur with a smallpad, thus avoiding the skin-abrasions often produced by trusspads.

The pad, byincreasing in thickness from its upper edge downward, moreperfectly suptic material between thelayer ofindia-rubber and the innerlayer of the pad, substantially as specified.

2. A hernial pad composed of an inner and outer layer, and a fillingconsisting of a thick layer of indiarubber resting against the outerlayer, and a packing of some soft ine- 'lnstic material arranged inlayersinereasing in Width from the rubber layer to the inner layer ofthe pad, so that the pad increases in` thickness from its upper edge toits lower edge, substantially as specified. 4

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REVILLO RICE.

Vi tn esses:

A. D. Foshan, M. BRENNAN.

